Life is short, so don't hesitate to do what you want to do. | Ryo Ueda (COMMUNE Inc.) [GOTO-CHI CREATIVE! Hokkaido Edition]

In Hokkaido, there are people who spend one month of the year living in Sweden.

This is Ryo Ueda, the representative of COMMUNE. Even though his daily work is busy, Mr. Ueda goes to Sweden every year. What we catch a glimpse there is his thoughts and philosophy on "living." This time, we listened carefully to everything from his life in Sweden to Mr. Ueda's "Work as life" philosophy, which states that "what is important to me is doing something 'with someone else'." The first installment of our local creative series starts in Sapporo, Hokkaido.

Initially, I went to Hokkaido on a whim.

Ms. Ueda herself is originally from Shiga Prefecture, and moved to Sapporo when she went to university. I understand she always had a strong desire to go abroad.

I was born in Shigaraki, a town in Shiga Prefecture known for its pottery. My family runs a pottery kiln, and most of my family members are involved in pottery. So, from a young age, I somehow thought that I would end up working in a job related to making things. I could have gone to art school, but I was struggling with drawing, which I wasn't used to, and I felt like I wanted to escape from it for a bit. It was around that time that I became interested in overseas countries, and as I read various books, I started to think, "Overseas seems interesting. I'd like to study abroad."

So I enrolled in the Faculty of International Culture at Tokai University's Sapporo campus, and I did two short-term study abroad programs in Sweden, which had an exchange program at the time. I chose Hokkaido because I wanted to get away from my parents and I didn't like hot places (laughs). I really wasn't thinking about anything back then.

I came to Hokkaido on a whim, but now I've been living here for over 20 years. Have you been interested in design since your student days?

That's right. There was a high school in Shigaraki where you could study pottery and design, but I just liked studying, so I went to a regular high school in the neighboring town. I was interested in "design," but I couldn't bring myself to choose it. Even at university, all I was left with was the feeling that I hadn't pursued an art-related path. Because of all that, when it came time to look for a job and I asked myself "what do I want to do from now on?", I reconsidered and realized that I really wanted to do design. So, after graduating from university, I ended up studying design for two years at a vocational school in Sapporo.

When you were considering going to vocational school, I imagine you had the option of going to your hometown of Shiga or to Tokyo, but what was your reason for staying in Sapporo?

I had already lived in Sapporo for four years, so my first thought was to look for a good school in Sapporo. This was a youthful folly, I admit...I thought that if I became "the most noticeable student in Hokkaido," I might be able to get a job (laughs).So I looked into vocational schools in Sapporo and found a school called "Sculpture and Design Vocational School" founded by Kenichi Kuriyagawa, who was involved in the design of the Sapporo Olympics. I thought that if I could win the grand prize for my graduation project there, I could be number one. And that's how I ended up staying in Sapporo.

Seeing these globally recognized creators, I thought, "We can do this in Sapporo too."

One of the reasons he stayed in Sapporo was the presence of Extra Design and Kenji Terashima, who were active in Sapporo at the time.

Yes, they were all truly amazing even back then. When I was a student, it was around the time the iMac came out, which was the "early days of digital technology."There's a trend where creators take scanners and scan the streets, and people think, "You can make something interesting if you just have a Mac."I also admired creators like that.

Kenji Terashima is an alumnus of my alma mater, and at the time, he was the first person from outside the region to win the JAGDA Newcomer Award. Also, the graphics he showed us in class were incredibly amazing, and I thought, "There's someone in Sapporo who can create such interesting things?" Extra Design was also a shock. At the time, I was an avid reader of magazines like 'design plex', 'GASBOOK', and '+81', and one day...Extra Design was featured in 'design plex'. A designer from Sapporo was featured on the front page of a national magazine and received rave reviews from people overseas.Seeing people like that, I thought, if there are people in Sapporo who can be successful on a global level, then maybe it's possible to succeed in Sapporo too.

What's important to me is "doing something together with someone else."

—COMMUNE is a design company, but it also runs many of its own businesses, such as the "1/12 SWEDEN PROJECT," a project where it spends one month each year living in Sweden, the community space "VOID," the lifestyle store "WONDERING," and the coffee stand "YETI STANDING."

That's right. "WONDERING" is a place to introduce wonderful artisans and products encountered during travels, and "YETI STANDING" offers soft-serve ice cream made with milk from cows raised on pastures in Hokkaido, as well as Asamiya tea from Shigaraki town, our local area. In the community space "MEET." and the off-grid cafe "PHYSICAL" that I previously ran, we held events to learn about DIY, agriculture, and energy, as well as making homemade plum syrup and serving vegan food, all as "practical spaces to learn about better ways of living." Personally, "Work as Life" is a common theme for all of them.

What were some of the things you valued most when launching COMMUNE?

COMMUNE means community or deep connection, and for me, "doing something together with someone" is very important. The concept of WONDERING is "HAPPINESS ONLY REAL WHEN SHARED."These are the words spoken by the protagonist at the end of Sean Penn's film "Into the Wild," and they mean that "happiness only becomes real when it is shared with someone."Even before encountering this phrase, I had formed a design unit with friends, creating things and distributing free papers, but I never felt truly satisfied doing it alone. It seems that my mindset is that "it's only fun when I do it with someone else and share it." I started my company alone at first, but I've always wanted to do it with someone else.

How many staff members are there at COMMUNE?

In our Sapporo office, there are four other staff members besides myself, plus one intern. We also have one in Portland. We have several international interns each year, though the timing varies. One is from Osaka, and the others are from Sapporo, Obihiro, Shintoku, and Monbetsu. Many of our hires are either interns who become staff members, or staff members who have experience in other industries before joining COMMUNE.

I spend a month in Sweden every year. The theme is "ordinary life."

One of the distinctive aspects of COMMUNE's work is the "1/12 SWEDEN PROJECT," in which they live in Sweden for one month each year. It's basically a project run by Ueda himself.

That's right. Since 2011, I've been working towards the goal of "living in Sweden for a month" every year. This project is themed around "living" rather than "travel," and I stay at the homes of friends and their families.While working, I meet up with friends locally, go hiking and berry picking, and generally live a very "normal life."Unlike traveling, I'm staying at a friend's house or a friend's family's house, and I'm living there and cooking my own meals. I do cook, too. Eating out is quite expensive in Scandinavia, so eating at home is the norm. I basically cook for myself.

What is a typical day like in Sweden?

9 AM in Stockholm, the capital, is roughly evening in Japan. So, when I'm there, I have a meeting with the staff as soon as I wake up. We check the backlog of designs, share my own progress, and usually work until around 2 or 3 AM. I usually go there between June and September.The days are relatively long in Scandinavia, and it's still light out in Stockholm even at around 22 PM.Even if I go out into town in the evening, I still have plenty of time to be active, so after work I can meet up with friends and do all sorts of things.

For a typical trip, it would be something like 3 nights and 4 days or a week, but in Ueda's case, he goes there to live for a whole month.

I've been to Sweden many times, and I don't really go to tourist spots. It's not a country with as much subculture and entertainment as Japan, so basically, I just go for walks in the forest, or go picking cantarella (also known as apricot mushrooms), which Swedes love, and eat them together as open sandwiches outside. That's all I do.

How has living in Sweden influenced you, Ms. Ueda?

For me, time in Sweden is a time when I can get away from my daily routine in Japan and focus on "living." In Japan, there are so many tasks that need to be done and time passes quickly,In comparison, it gives you the pure feeling of being able to choose what you want to do in a situation where there's nothing to choose from.

In Sweden, where there aren't as many forms of entertainment or convenient services as in Japan, there's a sense of being able to focus on "ordinary life"—cooking, taking walks, spending time with family, pursuing hobbies—rather than on consuming material goods.Sweden is characterized by its supportive work environment, including a rule requiring parents to take approximately 1.5 years of parental leave, with each spouse taking three months of that leave. This system makes it easier for parents to balance work and personal life, such as childcare and education.Looking back at life in Japan through that kind of "ordinary life," I realized that there's still a lot of room for improvement in how I and my staff work, as well as in our individual lives and lifestyles. That's when we started thinking about those things together.

Work as Life means blurring the lines between work and personal life. Everything is part of life.

"Work as Life" is a way of thinking that doesn't separate work and private life, right? What led you to adopt the "Work as Life" philosophy, Ms. Ueda?

The biggest event was the Great East Japan Earthquake. When the earthquake struck, I wondered, "Is it really okay for me to be doing design work at a time like this?"Work is important, but I've come to realize that what truly enriches my life is the simple things I spend with my family—talking with them, eating meals together, and so on.That experience gave me a chance to re-evaluate my lifestyle and work style. Design is important to me, but I also realized that I should use design to focus on things that I truly value. That's when I came across the phrase "Work as Life."

However, I had these concerns even before the earthquake. It's difficult to balance creative work with personal life, and physically, personal life inevitably gets cut short, so the concept of "work-life balance," which aims to balance the two, didn't quite sit right with me. In that respect, "Work as Life" is a way of thinking that seamlessly connects work and life.It's not about enriching your private life or keeping work separate from your personal life; it's about everything being part of "life," where work, private life, and play are all one and the same.So, for me, going to Sweden, climbing mountains, and working at a shop counter are all pretty much the same.

After that, I started farming in my free time, and learned things like chicken slaughtering, how to bake bread, and how to grow crops.I learned a lot from a course called "Self-Sufficiency Forest," which was started by someone in Sapporo who runs a restaurant and lives a self-sufficient lifestyle. I was also influenced by the lifestyle of "lifestyle adventurers" who moved to Sapporo. They operate under the concept of "high-quality low-altitude flight," questioning the norms of society and creating their own lives.

We now call it "COMMUNE FARM," and all the staff members cultivate various kinds of potatoes, leafy greens, and other things we want to be self-sufficient in. Now, not only I, but also the staff, have come to share the awareness of "pursuing our own careers and achieving what we want to do" through client work, running shops and cafes, etc.

COMMUNE's Creative

I would also like to hear about COMMUNE's production track record.

Recent branding projects have included an oral care brand for a dental laboratory, a dry cleaner, a Swedish Japanese tea brand, a beekeeping farm, and a seafood processing company. We assist not only with identity and packaging, but also with brand statement development, product development, and market development.

1. URUBIO

URUBIO is an oral care brand from Prime Dental Co., Ltd., and COMMUNE was in charge of its identity and branding. We handled everything from the product concept to naming and packaging, and the product has just been completed, but expanding sales channels is the current challenge. We are currently working together to figure out "how to sell it" from here on out.

What prompted Prime Dental to contact you?

Generally, small and medium-sized enterprises in rural areas often have little involvement with branding or design, and the vast majority of our clients have never commissioned a design company before. In that context, I think Prime Dental learned about the importance of branding and design at this particular time, and that's how they came to know about our company. We often receive inquiries from clients who have heard about us online or somewhere else.

What I've noticed recently is that there are a lot of clients who have finished their designs but "don't know how to sell them."Normally, people tend to think of drugstores and mass retailers as the main sales channels, but we design our product packaging with the intention of finding sales channels in a slightly different direction. There is the reality that sales channels don't change easily, though. With URUBIO, we plan to suggest participating in "buyer's events" that can open up sales channels such as general merchandise stores and lifestyle shops.

The scope now extends to helping customers develop their sales strategies.

2. Tomioka Cleaning

Tomioka Cleaning is a dry cleaning shop that was originally located in Nakashibetsu Town and has been in business for over 70 years.Tomioka Cleaning contacted us in 2011 when they were renovating their Nakashibetsu store, and we rebranded them with the concept of "a concierge for clothing and lifestyle."Since then, as we've expanded our original product line to include powdered detergents and other household goods, we've needed to refine our brand image, so we've redefined the brand's direction. To maintain our pure white brand image, we've kept a common identity while also adopting a packaging system that clearly distinguishes our non-detergent product lines. We're grateful to have continued our relationship with Tomioka Cleaning for about 10 years now.

This branding effort has gradually yielded results, and now they have expanded their stores not only in Nakashibetsu but also in the Sapporo and Asahikawa areas, and have even published a book about their journey so far, titled "The Tomioka Cleaning Book."

When small clients first commission design work, they inevitably start with a minimal scope. But at COMMUNE, in order to continuously improve this brand, you've carefully produced results on each and every small project, and that has ultimately led to a 10-year relationship, correct?

I agree. I don't know to what extent people see the results as a result of the design, but at the very least, if the design hadn't changed, we wouldn't have achieved the results we have today. We don't get many individual design requests these days, but even in those cases, we sometimes propose a complete rebranding, including overall branding and logos.

3. Kanno Beekeeping Farm

Kanno Apiary is a project I'm working on with a member who lives in Portland, and we've been working together for about eight years. It's an apiary in Kitami, but Hokkaido is a difficult place for bees to survive the winter. So the bees have to be moved to Honshu during the winter. Because of this, the representative, Mr. Kanno, lives in two locations: Shizuoka and Kitami. He goes to Shizuoka in the winter, harvests honey in Shizuoka in the spring, then heads north to Kitami, where he harvests honey again during the harvest season, and he continues this every year.

They originally commissioned other designers to create their product packaging, but they experienced situations where their honey was compared to ordinary, inexpensive honey in supermarkets and mass retailers and people said it was "expensive." However, they are truly committed to a meticulous process and make honey with sincerity. For example, they select land free of pesticide residues for harvesting. In the process of reducing the water content of the honey to increase its concentration, they don't use machines; instead, they patiently wait for the bees to dry it by flapping their wings before turning it into honey.

The bees use their wings to dry the honeycomb like a fan, and they wait patiently for this process before making honey. They also don't administer antibiotics to the bees. They carry out these processes with great care. However, this wasn't conveyed through the packaging. So we decided to "create something that ultimately conveys that it's good honey." After listening to their dedication and thoughts, we started by completely redesigning the brand concept and logo. In the case of Kanno Apiary, their concept was "living with bees," so we designed the logo using the motifs of "forest + house + bee," and we've incorporated that into the packaging and graphics.

The rebranding has slightly changed our sales channels; our products are now sold in hotel shops and restaurants, and we've been able to revise our prices.Furthermore, we are currently working on redesigning the packaging for mead, which is also the oldest alcoholic beverage known to humankind and the origin of the word "honeymoon."

In Hokkaido, we often receive branding projects for primary and secondary industries.

In COMMUNE's case, are most of your clients located in Sapporo?

Things have changed a bit since the pandemic. We have some projects in Tokyo and overseas, but most of our work is in Hokkaido. Interestingly, we have more contact with interns overseas than in Japan.Europe and Asia make up the largest group of interns, and so far we've had interns from France, Italy, Ireland, the UK, Denmark, Luxembourg, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore, and other countries.We have contact from the Middle East, South Africa, and South America, but it might be noteworthy that we don't have much contact from the United States.

Are there any characteristics of the projects you handle in Hokkaido?

We get a lot of projects related to branding and packaging for primary and secondary industries.In Hokkaido, because the "production areas" are close by, many of our clients are farmers who want to create their own products, start e-commerce businesses, or improve their operations.

However, most people don't have much experience commissioning design work, and they often come to us with vague expectations about what "design" is. Because of this, our thinking is that "simply fulfilling the client's wishes doesn't necessarily lead to good results." We believe that unless we have a discerning eye for design, meet the level of what the client is really looking for, and properly guarantee "professional quality," it won't result in something truly good, and it's unlikely to lead to good results.

What interests me are people who are balancing their personal lives and their work.

Are there any production companies or creators in Hokkaido that you're interested in?

It might be a little different from being a creator, but... I'm interested in people who balance their lives and their work, such as the bakery "Ramyart" in Toyako town, the antique shop "Kouten" in Naie town, "Soshikisodo" in Bifuka town where people continue to make wool clothes out of felt while living with sheep, and Shigeaki Adachi of "outwoods," a lumberjack who builds roads.

I was expecting to be introduced to someone from a creative field based on this question, but I'm surprised to see people from completely different areas. I guess the key point is that they are able to balance their life and their work.

That's right. Ramuyaat is a bakery run by Masuki Konno, who originally moved to Toyako from Sapporo, and personally, I think that the town of Toyako has changed quite a bit since Ramuyaat opened there. Now, in addition to being a bakery, they also run a shop called toita that sells seasonings, and they've created a space that can be rented out for pop-up shops, and they're trying out all sorts of things.With Ramuyat at its center, interesting creators, unique shops, and restaurants are gathering, and the town of Toyako is becoming more vibrant.A single shop can really change an entire town.

Transforming a former shopping street into a vibrant thoroughfare: Ramuyaat, a stone-oven bakery on the shores of Lake Toya that uses locally sourced ingredients.

I think it's amazing that Mr. Konno had the courage to choose bread as what he makes and decide to do it in Toyako Town, and that he decided to dedicate his life to it.In that respect, in our profession, which mainly involves client work, we inevitably end up just improving someone else's work, so there isn't much that remains within ourselves. On the other hand, you could say that "we don't have to make our own choices."

Soseisodo raises sheep and uses the wool they shear themselves to make felt clothing. I think the courage to dedicate one's life to that, the way they live, is incredibly creative and something I admire. I hope to have something like that someday.

Koten-san sells antique collections, but at the same time, he also runs a farm in Naie-cho. He runs his shop while living a self-sufficient lifestyle. He renovated an old warehouse and built it himself, hammering away at the construction site. His daily life is ordinary in the local area, yet it is very beautiful and cool.

What kind of person is Mr. Adachi from Outwoods?

Mr. Adachi is a lumberjack who builds mountain trails. Normally, the most efficient way to build a road is to use an excavator and build it without considering the terrain or nature, but Mr. Adachi and his team go into the forest during the winter, and they communicate with the trees and the forest, deciding which trees to cut down and which to leave, to create a road that is in harmony with nature. The roads they build this way are logical, beautiful, and gentle. I admire his philosophy and the strength he has to make a living doing what he does. If I ever have to build a building in the future, I would like Mr. Adachi to build the road for me.

outwoods Shigeaki Adachi: Creating paths for coexistence with the forest

Earlier, you mentioned that "doing something with someone else is important to me," but from what you've said now, I get the impression that each person has their own livelihood in that area, and they connect with each other through what they can do, supporting one another and coexisting.

That might be true. In Sapporo, you can find pretty much anything. But in rural areas, you don't have many of those "convenient things." That's why each person's role naturally becomes defined, and a spirit of mutual sharing may develop.

I want to help small but sincere people make life-changing decisions.

Now, let me ask you a little about your philosophy, Mr. Ueda. I understand that you value "being small."

I believe that in the process of a company expanding its sales and increasing its scale, some of the "founding spirit" is sacrificed.Many of our clients are small companies and individuals, and these small clients face the reality that even if they create excellent products, they often struggle to make a profit. However, they are honest and run their businesses with a sole desire to provide high-quality products. I want to help these small clients with their life-changing decisions. I believe there is still so much that design can do to help them.

In that sense, it's not that "being small" is important, but rather that what's important is doing something within the bounds of not destroying the "essence."Speaking of Ramyaat again, what surprised me was that they said, "Once we reach our annual sales target, we'll close the shop for the rest of the year and use that time to do something else." They operate at a manageable scale and don't do more than what they want. I think that's the sincerity of creating and delivering something, rather than focusing on sales or scale.

I heard that Ms. Ueda is also aware of the concept of "weak ties."

I believe it was the sociologist Mark Granovetter who said it, but it's what you might call a "loose connection." For example, I think my way of existing as a designer is to be the kind of architect that people remember when they decide to build a house.

In a world where you can't always maintain connections with someone, I think of "weak ties" as being remembered in some way, and having people continue to think, "That person would be nice." For example, New Year's cards.Don't you think New Year's cards are a great tool? They're never pushy, and they're something that can always be received positively—there's no reason for it to be a message.It's like a way to check in on people's well-being, something we can send them once a year without asking. I think this is what connects people through "Week Ties." So right now, we're not doing much in the way of sales activities. We just want people to know that we exist in a relaxed way.

The future of Hokkaido and COMMUNE

What do you think the future holds for creative work in Sapporo?

I feel that in the next 10 years or so, Sapporo will experience accelerated depopulation and aging, and the negative situation will become even more pronounced than it is now. Depopulation and aging are already progressing throughout Hokkaido, but within that, there are scattered areas...When unique individuals who are changing their communities take root and engage in activities within those communities, new initiatives gradually begin to spread, and small but attractive places (such as Higashikawa, Toyako, and Atsuma) emerge.I think that more and more regions and individuals will be drawn to such interesting places, attracting new people.

Unique individuals who are changing the region include people like Ramyat and Kouten, whom I mentioned earlier.

That's exactly right. I sometimes hear from people in Tokyo saying, "Kousen is a wonderful shop, I'd like to go there." It shows that it resonates with people who share the same taste and sensibilities. In the past, it would have been impossible to even know it existed, but now, thanks to social media and the internet, it's becoming known to many people.I think one reason why people like them can make a living in such an appealing way, despite facing harsh natural and environmental challenges every day, is thanks to digital technology.I think that thanks to the benefits of digital technology, it's becoming easier for "unique people" to emerge, and I believe we'll see even more of them, and we'd like to be one of them if we can. It's also possible that COMMUNE itself might become even more local in the future.

I see. Do you have any plans for COMMUNE's future?

Actually... I used to think about "creating a village" (laughs). I had been researching forests for a while, but the pandemic changed my perspective. Now we have our workspace, shop, coffee stand, and event space "in the city," so next I'd like to create something like a "combination of land + fields + accommodation" "in the forest."

So, I'd like to try serving pesticide-free vegetables grown on the "field" at the "inn," creating a system where everything reciprocates and creates a cycle. I think it would be great if we could create a "self-sufficient place" where everyone involved does what they can, and those things circulate again. I think it would be interesting if we could create a "COMMUNE" where everyone can integrate their work with what they love, and where "work" and "living" become a cycle.

In the future, my ideal schedule would be 3% design, 3% urban work (shops and cafes), and 3% forest work (self-sufficient living and guesthouses).Within that context, I hope to be able to live in Sweden for about two months each year.

Life is short, so don't hesitate to do what you want to do.

Tokyo and Hokkaido are quite different in terms of environment, culture, work ethic, and even the economy. I think every company, not just in Sapporo, is wondering "how should we interact with Tokyo?" Economically, Tokyo is overwhelmingly dominant, but I'd like to hear your thoughts on how companies in regional areas should interact with Tokyo.

That's a difficult question. When you're in a local area, you inevitably feel like your standards are declining in many ways. I try to go to Tokyo frequently. For example, there aren't many art and design exhibitions or events in Hokkaido, so I go to see those. Also, in Tokyo, there's a lot of competition in every field, and people are highly motivated and constantly striving to improve. In that respect, Hokkaido is more laid-back in a good way, so I think it's necessary to always be on the lookout for new trends. On the other hand, Hokkaido has different values ​​and cutting-edge fields, and the way those people think and work is completely different. So, I want to know both Tokyo and local areas.

Mr. Ueda, you've been changing your environment and truly experiencing the atmosphere of those changes, starting with the "1/12 SWEDEN PROJECT." I think the reason why more people don't do that is because of fear of change or financial issues. Is Mr. Ueda's ability to proactively take on challenges due to a sense of crisis, a playful spirit, or something else? What are your thoughts on that?

As you said, I do have a slight sense of crisis regarding the state of society. I want to be able to remain independent even when major events like earthquakes, COVID-19, or wars occur. I wondered if it was alright to be doing design work during times of crisis, and while design is a very noble profession, I thought I wanted to have something a little more "essential" within myself. I think that something is something that is not affected by any circumstances.

Apparently, the most common regret people have before they die isn't about something they did, but something they didn't do.Life is short, so don't hesitate to do what you want to do.At some point, I started thinking about "stopping doing the things I don't want to do" before focusing on the things I do want to do.

Since turning 40, I've started thinking not just about the future that will continue forever, but also about "how to end my life." I've always wanted to do things that I enjoy with everyone, and I'm grateful that I share that with my staff and that they've stuck with me. That's what brings me joy, after all.

That's all!

Our series with Web Designing, "GOTO-CHI CREATIVE!", concluded with an interview with Ueda-san of COMMUNE in Sapporo. We hope you enjoyed it!

It seemed to me that Ms. Ueda's perspective on "creativity" gradually changed after a certain event. While creating good things is a given, she also emphasized not neglecting her own life. It was almost as if she was saying, "Everything in life is creative." I think the catalyst for this change was her encounters with people living in Hokkaido (which she visited by chance) and her time living in Sweden.

People who work and live in Hokkaido, using their own hands. Considering the large number of interns from overseas,I believe Hokkaido possesses a unique magnetic field that forces you to confront the question, "How will you live your life?"

If you'd like, we'd love to hear your thoughts and feedback on social media like X.

Now, for "GOTO-CHI CREATIVE!", next time we'll be heading south, aiming to land somewhere around Kyushu. What kind of work styles and lifestyles await us there? We hope you'll look forward to it! This has been the iDID Magazine editorial team!